Adjustable shade or curtain fixture.



G. J. MAAS.

ADJUSTABLE SHADE 0R CURTAIN FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 25.1914.

1,146,890. Patented Ju1y 20, 1915.

a T i N GEORGE J. IVIAAS, F NEGAUNEE, WISCONSIN.

ADJUSTABLE SHADE OB CURTAIN FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 19115.

Application filed May 25, 1914;. Serial No. 840,684.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Gnoaen J. MAAS, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of N egaunee, in the county of Marquette and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Shade or Curtain Fixtures; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical and effective adjustable fixture for shade rollers or curtain rods, whereby the curtain roller or rod may be raised or lowered relative to its normal position at the top of the window casing by manipulating brackets carrying rods which depend therefrom so as to be accessible to the operator, the brackets being guided in vertically disposed runways. The rods are detachably connected to the brackets and serve as lock and release keys for tumblers carried by the brackets, which tumblers engage selected notches in the runways, whereby the brackets constituting the curtain fixtures are locked and released atthe will of the operator, it being within the scope of my invention to remove the rods from the brackets if desired after an adjustment of the mechanism.

All of the fittings are of neat appearance and are delicately proportioned, but of sufficient strength to sustain the load, whereby the device as a' whole is both practical and inoffensive to the eye, to thus harmonize with the artistic surroundings of an apartment.

I am aware that heretofore devices for raisin and lowering shades have been employed, wherein variously arranged cords have been utilized for bodily raising and lowering the fixture, but such devices are more or less impractical due to the fact that the necessary rigidity is lackingand that the cords wear more or less and thus the device becomes loose and ineffective.

Other devices for the purpose mentioned have been constructed wherein the brackets are slid back and forth upon runways of a certain type, the construction of which is more or less crude and of suchcoarseness as to render them ineifective and impractical in modern dwellings.

Furthermore, devices of the above referred to character have employed mechanism for locking which, in practice, has been found impractical. My improved adjustable mechanism is designed to overcome the above objectionable features having in mind at all times a device which is simple in construction and inconspicuous as a whole when affixed to the casing of a window.

WVith the above objects in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts as set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figurel represents a face view of a window equipped with a curtain fixture embodying the features of my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged detailed face view of one of the fixtures with parts broken away and parts in section to more clearly disclose structural features; Fig. 3, a sectional view of the same, the section being indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4, a sectional plan view of the fixture, the section being indicated by line 4l of Fig. 3.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1. 1, represent vertically disposed channeliron runways, which runways are fitted to the faces of the side membersA of a window casing adjacent to their upper ends, being secured by screws or other means. As shown, the runways are arranged in position to receive an outside shade, but it is understood that said runways may be affixed to the inner opposite faces of the casing members A when it is desired to utilize an inside shade or curtain.

The bottom wall of each runway is pro- I vided wth a series of apertures 2, which may be predeterminedly spaced for the purpose of adjusting and locking the shade to different elevations. Brackets 3 are pro-vided having feet 3, which feet are in sliding union with the runways, as shown. The brackets are also provided with ears 3 for the reception of the ends of a. shade roller or rod B, the ears and brackets constituting curtain fixtures. The feet of the brackets are formed with pockets 4 having open throats facing the runways, the said pockets being provided for the reception of tumblers 5, which are pivoted to the side walls of the pockets by means of pivot bolts 5'. Each tumbler is provided with a locking leg 5 which is adapted to engage any one of the series of recesses 2, whereby the bracket is locked with respect to the runway. Each tumbler is also provided with an obliquely disposed leg 6, which leg, in

conjunction with the locking leg 5", form branches of an inverted Y, the stem of which constitutes the pivot point of the tumbler, whereby said legs are extended upon opposite sides of an imaginary vertical line intersecting the axis of the tumbler and the crotch between the legs forms a stop-socket for tumbler-actuating mechanism to be hereinafter described. A loop spring 7 is fitted within each pocket for engagement with the tail-piece of the tumbler, whereby said tumblers are under spring control and adapted to automatically seat Within alined recesses of the companion runway. Each bracket is also provided with a depending hub 7, into which is fitted the threaded end 8 of an actuating rod 9, the threaded end being adapted to engage the inner end of a screw 9 with which the hub is provided. The screw-threaded end of each rod terminates with a nib 8 constituting a key for engagement with the tail-piece 6 of the tumbler and the depending free lower end of each rod is formed with a suitable knob 9, whereby the rods may be conveniently manipulated, it being understood that these knobs are within easy reach of an operator at all times, whereby the brackets may be raised or lowered in their runways.

As shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, I may, without departing from the spirit of my invention, form the brackets with inwardly extended ears, whereby a double set of shade rods or rollers may be supported in connection with the fixture.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that, in order to lower the shade roller from the position shown in Fig. 1, the operator, by twisting the rodsDin one directi on, will cause them, through their screwthreaded engagement with the bracket, to rise, whereby the locking nibs 8 will engage and ride the inner face of legs 6 of the tumblers 5 and, in opposition to their spring control, retract the legs 5 of the tumblers from engagement with companion recesses of the runways. Movement of each nib 8 is limited through the engagement of its end with the crotch of the Y-shaped legs, whereby the tumbler is positively locked in a disengaging position, in which position the end of the leg 6 will abut one wall of the pocket at, it being understood that the nib in its upward movement travels to one side of the center of the tumbler. Thus, when the operator performs a releasing movement of each of said nibs, the parts automatically come to a positive stop. Thus the brackets are freed from their locking engagement with said runways and they may be dropped to the desired position. Thereafter, by a reverse twist of the rods, the locking nibs 8 will permit thetum'blers to engage the desired notches. It is apparent that the rods may be removed after the brackets are manipulated if desired, in order that the fixtures will be less conspicuous.

I claim;

In an adjustable shade or curtain fixture having companion channel-iron runways notched at intervals, and curtain-rod supporting brackets provided with feet in slidable union with the runways, the feet having tumbler-receiving pockets therein; the combination of a lock and release means for each bracket comprising a tumbler incased within the pocket and in pivotal union with the bracket, the tumbler comprising obliquely disposed legs forming an inverted Y with relation to the pivoted stem of said tumbler, one of the legs being provided with a nose for engagement with the runway notches, a rod having a nib in threaded engagcment with the bracket, the nib being adapted to engage the inner face of the opposite "leg and positioned toone side of an imaginary vertical line intersecting the axis of said tumbler, whereby said nib, when moved upwardly, willdefiect the tumbler to one side and socket within the crotch between said legs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee in the county .of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. MAAS. Vitnesses:

G120. XV. YOUNG, M. E. DOWNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). .0. i

It is hereby certified that the residence of the patentee in Letters Patent No.

1,146,890, granted July 20, 1915, upon the application of George J. Maas, for an improvement in Adjustable Shade or Curtain Fixtures, Was erroneously Written and printed as Negaunee, Wisconsin, Whereas said residence should have been written and printed as Negaunee, Michigan; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of August, A. 1)., 1915.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] 

